The present invention relates to an assembly for electrically grounding a coaxial cable and, more particularly, to a grounding clamp or strap for attaching the junction block to a tubular grounding member.
In providing cable television service to a residential or other building, or in providing a connection to the interior of a building from an outside antenna system such as a satellite dish, the signals may be carried on a conventional coaxial cable. In a typical coaxial cable installation, the cable is run to the approximate point of entry into the building where it is cut and provided with a conventional coaxial connector including a threaded outer end sleeve. Similarly, a coaxial cable section is extended through the building wall and provided on its outside end with an identical standard end fitting. Connection between the terminated ends of the main incoming cable and the cable section from within the building is made by utilizing a coaxial cable junction block. The junction block includes a pair of axially aligned and oppositely extending threaded connector studs to which the respective threaded sleeves of the cable end fittings are attached. The connector studs include a common coaxial interior connector which is electrically insulated from the studs and the mounting block and which provides interconnection between the terminated interior conductor in the two coaxial cable sections.
By utilizing a coaxial cable junction block, installers can install the section through the wall of the building completely independently of and at a different time than the time at which connection from the main coaxial cable to the building is made. However, the junction block must be separately attached to the outer wall or other portion of the building and, additionally, a separate grounding connection must be made from the block to a suitable ground, such as an electrical conduit, pipe, or the like. Thus, the installer must drill holes or otherwise provide some means for attachment of the junction block to the building and must additionally repair and attach a separate ground lead between the junction block and the grounded conduit or the like. Providing an appropriate attachment of the junction block to the building may be difficult or objectionable to the owner. Providing a separate grounding connection is also time consuming and requires the use of additional materials.
Grounding clamps of the type using a flexible strap which is wrapped around a tubular grounded conduit and clamped thereto are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,204 discloses a ground clamp including a thin flexible strap adapted to surround a conventional metal conduit and a bolt subassembly which provides both adjustable connection of the strap ends and a connection for attachment or a ground wire. U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,051 shows a similar grounding strap including a bolt assembly which provides both adjustable interconnection and clamping of the ends of the conduit-encircling strap and connection for the end of a terminated ground wire. U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,469 shows another grounding strap in which one of a series of holes in one end of the strap is attached to an integral protruding hook on the other end of the strap and the strap is tensioned about the grounded conduit by a radially disposed bolt assembly which acts to place the strap in tension and tighten it about the conduit. Each of the foregoing patents provides means for the separate attachment of a ground wire, as does the conventional coaxial cable junction box of the prior art described above.
It would be most convenient and desirable to eliminate the need to attach a coaxial cable junction block directly to the structure near the point of cable entry and to eliminate the separate ground wire connection which must ordinarily be made to the junction block.